Caught
by nikkiRA
Summary: Oneshot, JaredPaul/ Jared doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t even move. Paul wouldn’t have thought he was even breathing if he couldn’t feel the rise and fall of his chest underneath his thighs. Done for the challenge on the Fight Imprinting Forum.


**so this was done for the crack!pairing challenge-esque thingy on the Fight Imprinting forum, in the Imprinting Sucks topic. My crack pairing is Jared/Paul ^__^ enjoy!**

* * *

The first thing Paul notices is that he's really, really, angry.

This isn't really new- Paul has always been an 'angry boy,' as his mother had kindly said, but this was different. This anger was all consuming. It took over, spurred into action by the simplest thing. Yesterday some kid in the grocery store had said 'vantastic' instead of 'fantastic' and he was suddenly shaking, as if something was trying to burst out of his skin.

It's unnerving.

The second thing he notices is that he's hot. Not like the men his mother gawks at on television, but like a stove. Like the sun. Like fire. As if he had a permanent, totally out of control sun burn.

He took his temperature once, but he remembers learning that once your temperature reaches around 104 degrees, you're either dead or about to be, so _that _can't be right.

One time he asked his dad if he felt hot but his father had put a hand to his forehead and said, "You're fine." His mother had anxiously tried to feel him, but his father had swept her away saying, "it's all in his head. He's fine."

Was it all in his head?

He didn't feel fine. He stayed inside most of the time because he was so angry, and he didn't want to freak out on some poor little girl because she jokingly called him a poo head, or something. He stayed inside and took his temperature even though there had to be something wrong with the thermometer, because if that was really his temperature he wouldn't be able to walk around and do things, he would be _dead. _

One time when his parents were out he was roaming around his house and he walked into the kitchen chair. That was all it was- he walked into the chair. He had done it countless times before, he never really learned, but suddenly he was shaking and he couldn't control himself, what the hell was happening to him no no no no was he dying? Maybe the thermometer was right and he was dying, maybe this was death.

When he wakes up he's lying down on a bed that isn't his own and he's dressed in different clothes than before. What the fuck? What the hell _happened _to him?

The door opens and then closes and he lifts his head to see... Jared?

He hasn't seen Jared in weeks. Why is he in Jared's bedroom?

"Hi Paul."

This has to be some weird, alternate universe or something. The Twilight Zone. Jared hasn't spoken to him in weeks. Both he and Sam went suddenly AWOL, as if Paul wasn't good enough for them.

Oh no, he's getting angry again. He doesn't want to be angry.

"What the hell, Jared?" Paul says, concentrating on keeping the wild beast that seems to be contained inside of him at bay.

"Something is happening to you, Paul," he says, sounding like some mystic fraud trying to make few bucks at a carnival.

"Yeah, no shit Sherlock," Paul spits. Jared sighs and rubs his eyes.

"Dammit, I told Sam I couldn't do this," he mutters. Paul picks up on this.

"What about Sam?"

Jared leans against his closed bedroom door and says, "He's normally the one who does this. Well, he will be. But he can't, right now. Some relative is sick or something. So it's my job. But I'm not very good at it. I'm only just starting to understand."

Paul is getting pissed off. "Understand _what? _Shit, I'm sick of all these riddles, Jared. What is happening? Why am I in your _bedroom?"_

Jared looks up at his ceiling, as if praying. Then he looks at Paul. "Have you been feeling angry lately? I mean, angrier than usual."

_What is he playing at? _Paul thinks, but he just nods, determined to get to the bottom of all this crap.

"And have you been hot? Has your body temperature been really high?"

"Well, yeah, but I figured the thermometer was just broken..."

Suddenly, Jared moves forward, puts his hands on the bed beside Paul and leans forward. "What's the last thing you remember, Paul?"

He thinks. "I walked into a chair... and I got really angry."

"Think harder."

Paul does. "I get some... some memory, but that was only a dream..."

"What was the dream, Paul?" Jared's eyes are lit up. Paul doesn't like whatever is happening. He tries to remember the dream.

"There was... a wolf. I think it was a wolf, anyway, it was _huge... _and I... no, I... _I _was the wolf. I was the wolf!"

Jared crouches down on his haunches so he's at eye level with Paul. "Listen to me, Paul. That wasn't a dream."

He scoffs. "Then what the hell was it?"

Jared looks into Paul's eyes for a few long seconds and then says, "it was real, Paul."

Well, he hadn't been expecting _that. _He sits up. "Yeah, alright Jared. Where the hell do you get off, huh?"

Jared's hands go to his shoulders. They're hotter than he thinks they should be, but it doesn't bother him so he can't even really tell.

"It's all real, Paul. Every bit of it."

"What, so I'm a goddamn werewolf now? Is that it? Better watch out for the full moon, huh Jared?" He jokes, turning his face up and howling. Jared sighs patiently.

"I wish I could show you, Paul, prove it to you, but... I don't have enough control, it wouldn't be safe..."

Paul laughs loudly. "You're so full of shit, Jared."

Jared shakes his head, a little sadly. "No, Paul. I'm not."

Paul decides to play along, for a little amusement. "Alright Jared, lets say I am a werewolf. How did you find me?"

"We've been watching you. Sam and I. You have the blood. We knew it was only a matter of time."

"You've been _watching _me? Jesus Jared, that isn't creepy or anything. Alright, how did you know to find me today, hmm?"

Jared has an answer for this, too. "You're part of Sam's pack, Paul. I am too. Pack members can... they can hear each other's thoughts."

Another boisterous laugh. "This just gets better and better, doesn't it? Well, how come I can't have my own pack? Why can't I be... what was it wolves call their leaders? Alpha?"

"You don't have Alpha blood, Paul. Only Sam does."

"How did I end up here?"

"The first phase tires you out. You blacked out. That's why you think you dreamed it all."

"You really have an answer for everything, don't you Jared."

"You'll believe me sooner or later, Paul. You might as well believe me now. It'll be easier."

Paul shakes his head and stands up, walking over to the door. "This is such bullshit, Jared. I never would have pegged you as someone to do this."

Jared stands up, too, and for the first time Paul notices how _buff _he is. He must have worked out, because this Jared is a far cry from the scrawny little one Paul used to know.

"It's not bullshit, Paul. Think. Think back to your 'dream.' What happened?"

"No way. This is fucking stupid. I'm not playing this game anymore."

"Please Paul. Amuse me. One last time."

He wants to punch something. Jared seems to sense this and says, "c'mon Paul. I won't bother you again."

He tries to remember the dream. He can remember shaking, in the middle of his kitchen. He had walked out of the house- he had wanted to get somebody. He was shaking so hard. He was walking along the sidewalk when suddenly the shaking escalated and he- he ripped out of his clothes. Out of his _skin. _And he had the sudden urge to run, so he did, and it wasn't until he reached the forest that he realized he was running on four hands. But when he looked down, they weren't hands. They were... they were _paws. _

_What the hell, _he had thought, and then, suddenly, there was a voice in his head, a voice he dimly recognized, but it wasn't his own...

_It's alright, Paul. It's gonna be okay. This is normal. _

_What the fuck?! _He had thought, and then suddenly, there was a wolf in front of him. A _huge _wolf, but it didn't seem huge. In fact, he could look the wolf in the eyes. He was... he was the _same size. _

_It's me, Paul. It's Jared._

_Who?_

_Jared. You know me, Paul. It's alright. _

_This isn't fucking alright, I'm a _wolf! _This is... this is a dream. _

_It isn't, Paul. It's alright. I'm here. _

This simple statement calmed him more than he liked to admit. _This isn't real. I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want to be a wolf, Jared. I wanna be a human again!_

_Alright, listen to me. Concentrate. Concentrate on what it is to be human. Concentrate on every body part; from the top of your head to your toes to everything in between. _

_I... I can't. _

_It'll get easier with time. Come on Paul. Think of yourself as a human. You can do it. _

He had. He had thought of everything about himself and then he was sitting naked on the forest floor staring up into Jared's face and then he thinks he must have fainted.

Back in Jared's room, Paul stares him in the face and says, "It can't be true."

"I've been here, Paul. I was you. Sam is much better at this than I am. But it'll get better. Things start to make more sense. And it can be a great thing."

Emotions wash upon Paul. "I don't understand..."

"It will be explained, Paul. I promise. Everything will be explained."

He starts to shake. Jared takes a step back, but this isn't anger. Not this time. These are tears.

"I'm... I'm scared." He whispers this, half hoping Jared won't hear. He does.

The arm that wraps around Paul is tentative. When Jared leans his head gently against Paul's forehead, it's even more slowly. Paul's breathing is laboured from his effort to keep from losing all dignity and sobbing. Jared's breathing is laboured too, but he's not sure why.

Neither does Jared.

"It'll be okay, Paul."

For some reason he believes him.

xxx.

"Congratulations," Sam says, a grin on his face, as Jared stands there, absolutely glowing. He looks like a goddamn pregnant woman, Paul thinks bitterly. All glowing and shit.

"Did you even know who she _was _before this, Jared?" He asks, trying to convince himself he is _not _trying to ruin Jared's Big Day. Jared shrugs.

"Well, no. But that's the beauty of imprinting. I never would have even known her before. And she's my soul mate! If imprinting didn't exist, she would have just... gotten away."

Paul mumbles something incoherent, thinking he would have liked it a hell of a lot better if Kim Connweller _had _gotten away.

xxx.

"You shouldn't have done that, Paul."

Jared's voice is only slightly condescending. Paul scowls.

"It wasn't _my _fault."

"You need to have more control."

"Sorry if I'm not Mr. Perfect, Jared. I'm not _you."_

"I'm not perfect," he argues. Paul knows this isn't true, but he doesn't say anything else.

"He had no right to do that," he finally says after a moment of silence. Jared shrugs.

"He didn't technically tell her. She just found out."

"Still."

Jared shrugs. "He loves her."

Another scowl from Paul. "So? That doesn't mean he has the right to tell her _everything._"

"He didn't even tell her, Paul. Jesus. Besides- if you loved somebody, wouldn't you want to tell them?"

Paul doesn't answer this. Jared sees his sidelong glance and makes a feeble excuse, running away from the conversation.

xxx.

It's raining. Of course it's goddamn raining. That's all that ever happens in this god forsaken town. _Rain. _

His walk is lonely. He isn't even really sure why he's on it. Why he isn't at home, warm and dry.

The answer comes when someone runs past him. In the rain, he doesn't seem to notice him.

"Jared?" He calls, because yes, that _is _Jared, running, jogging in this goddamn weather, without a shirt on, as usual. The boy is clearly crazy, Paul decides.

Jared stops running. "Paul? What are you doing out in the rain?"

"Walking."

Jared looks at him as if he's crazy. _"Walking? _Why?"

Paul scowls. "You're fucking jogging in a rain storm and you're jumping down _my _throat?"

Jared holds up his hands in defeat. "Chill, I wasn't jumping down your throat."

They're both silent. Jared falls into step with Paul. His shirt is sticking to his skin. Rain is dripping down his back. Why the fuck is he out?

"Any word of Jake?" He finally asks, trying to break the silence. Jared shakes his head.

"He's somewhere. In Canada, I guess. Sam keeps trying to reach him."

"Isn't Canada like, a frozen tundra?"

Jared rolls his eyes. "Not 365 days a year, Paul," he says condescendingly. Jared likes to be condescending. Paul scowls. Again.

"Sorry, shit. I'm not goddamn Mr. Geography."

"You don't have to get so defensive, you know."

"Sure I do. You know everything. You like making others feel stupid."

Jared shoots him a look. "I do _not."_

"Yeah, you do. You always have."

Jared is silent. Then he says, "I do not."

Paul smirks triumphantly. "Now who's defensive?"

Suddenly, Jared shoves Paul. This catches him so off guard that he nearly falls over, but he manages to keep his footing and shove him back. Jared laughs and ducks, catching Paul around the middle and knocking him to the ground. Paul growls, scraping Jared's bare back as he tries to gain control.

Jared wins. He ends up straddling Paul's waist with both of his arms pinned underneath Jared's hands. His handsome face laughs.

"I win," he says. Paul shakes his head.

"Not yet."

Paul gains the element of surprise as he flips himself over, switching the positions and looming over Jared. Jared laughs. "Alright, I submit. You win."

Paul smirks triumphantly. Then it's suddenly wiped off his face. He looks both ways as if he's about to cross the street and then he turns back to the werewolf pinned beneath him.

"D'you remember the day I first changed?" He asks Jared, who can only nod, since Paul still has a hold of his arms.

"You told me... you said that Sam had a sick relative. That's why he couldn't be there."

Jared nods mutely, but if Paul looks closely he thinks he can see something almost like fear well up in his eyes.

"Sam doesn't have any other relatives, Jared. And he said that both he and his mother have been in perfect health for a long time."

Jared doesn't say anything. He doesn't even move. Paul wouldn't have thought he was even breathing if he couldn't feel the rise and fall of his chest underneath his thighs.

"Why did you lie to me?" He whispers. His words are carried away by the rain but he can tell from the way Jared scrunches his eyes shut that he heard them.

"You should get off of me, Paul," he mutters. Paul leans forward and rests his arms on either side of Jared's head, pressing his forehead against the other boys.

"Why did you lie to me," he repeats and Jared shakes his head.

"Stop, Paul. Stop it now."

"Why?" He asks, his voice cracking in the middle of the word. Jared sighs, his breath enveloping Paul's nostrils.

"You were my best friend, Paul. I missed you."

This doesn't ring right with Paul. Jared and Sam had always been inseparable. Paul had almost been like a third wheel.

"You're lying, Jared."

Jared looks long and hard into Paul's eyes. Then he says, "I love Kim."

This makes Paul laugh. His head droops and he laughs and he says, "don't I know it."

He carefully disentangles himself from Jared and just as he's about to walk away a hand lands on his shoulder and he's twirled around and suddenly warm, wet lips are pressed to his and Jared's body is closer than it's ever been and Paul can't ignore that bulge about half way down because he has one to match it.

It's over just as soon as it began, and Jared turns and runs and for the next few days he won't look Paul in the eye. Paul works hard to catch Jared's eye.

He catches Rachel Black's instead.


End file.
